The ceremony at Sukarno-Hatta airport, before the transfer to the nunciature. The inhabitants of Jakarta were impressed by Francis’s extreme simplicity. During the thirteen-hour flight, the pontiff was also given a gift of a reproduction of the Xi’an stele, a testimony to the ancient roots of Christianity in China.
Jakarta () – Forty minutes on board a minivan for the journey from Sukarno-Hatta airport to the nunciature, located near the central Merdeka Square. The first contact with the presence of Pope Francis in Indonesia this morning aroused great admiration and sympathy among the population of the country. Seated next to the driver, the pontiff greeted the numerous journalists and other people who were awaiting his arrival both on the tarmac and during the journey to the nunciature.
The plane carrying Pope Francis landed at Jakarta airport at 11.16 local time, after a flight lasting more than thirteen hours. The welcome ceremony was very simple: a group of national honour guards approached the steps of the plane while the Pope was greeted by two children dressed in traditional costumes: Mary Lourdes Wicaksono Atmojo (aged 6), from Central Jakarta, and Irfan Wael (aged 12), from Buru Island in Central Molucca. Francis was presented with a bouquet of flowers representing the nation’s political motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” which means “Plurality in Diversity.”
On behalf of the Government, he was welcomed by the Indonesian Minister for Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Quomas, flanked by Cardinal Suharyo of Jakarta, the President of the Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Antonius Subianto, the Apostolic Nuncio, Msgr. Piero Pioppo, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See, Michael Trias Kuncahyono, and other dignitaries, including the former Minister of Transport, Ignasius Jonan, head of the organizing committee for the visit.
During the flight, Pope Francis had briefly greeted the journalists, thanking them for their presence: “Thank you for your company,” he said, “I think this is the longest journey I have ever made.” From some of the journalists, the pontiff also received some significant gifts: a reproduction of the Xi’an stele, the ancient inscription attesting that Christianity had already arrived in China in the 7th century, and a torch used by a group of emigrants on their journey by barge across the Mediterranean.
Inside the nunciature, Francis had a first meeting with the humblest people: welcoming him were a group of refugees welcomed by the Jesuit Refugee Service, orphaned children raised by Dominican nuns, and elderly refugees and homeless people accompanied by the Indonesian Community of Sant’Egidio. After a brief greeting, the Pope retired to the rooms where he will rest today, celebrating Mass in private. In fact, the public moments of the visit will begin tomorrow morning at the presidential palace, where he is expected to meet the outgoing president, Joko Widodo, and address the authorities and the diplomatic corps. Then, in the afternoon, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, the meeting with the bishops, priests and pastoral workers of the Indonesian Church.
Pope Francis’ simplicity inspires great admiration among the people. Speaking to , Olga Lidya, a well-known supermodel in the country, said that his simple lifestyle and the teachings of the encyclical Laudato Sì have had a huge influence throughout the world. “Pope Francis is a model of how to lead a simple life,” she said. “Something that is sometimes very difficult to practice in our daily lives, without accumulating wealth. His simplicity touches our moral conscience and asks us to have strong compassion for others.”
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